find what I suspect you might, there won’t be any doubt that it isn’t personal.”
He didn’t say anything. Eve hoped that he was thinking it over.
A few minutes later they pulled into the parking lot of the police station and she slid the car into a diagonal space that had empty spots on either side. She didn’t want to have to explain a door ding to Reed on top of the grand-theft auto.
They entered the station and shortly after, Ingram joined them from somewhere in the back. He led them to a room with a beat-up table and a large two-way mirror. A form and a pen waited there. He directed her to sit and give her statement regarding what she remembered in as much detail as possible.
Eve sat and began to write. Ishamel moved to the far corner and sat in a chair with his eyes closed. He looked as if he was napping, but she suspected he was sending orders to whoever fell under his purview.
She was halfway through her second page when the door opened. The stench of Infernal assaulted her nose and her head snapped up. A uniformed officer entered the room with a bottle of water in his hand. She watched, wide-eyed, as he set it on the table. His mouth curved in a malevolent smile. His detail crawled up from beneath his shirt, coming to rest over his Adam’s apple. It was an insignificant design as suited a lesser demon.
“Thought you might like something to drink,” the demon said in a friendly voice designed to fool those who might be watching through the glass. Eve got a different show from the front. His lip curled back, revealing the pointed canines of a vampire. “Holler if you’d like anything else. There are plenty of us out there.”
Sitting back slowly, she glanced at Ishamel. He hadn’t moved, but his eyes were open. The Infernal didn’t pay him any mind. Eve didn’t know if that was because he was stupid and couldn’t pick out a celestial without a Mark’s scent, or if he was so cocky he didn’t view a mal‘akh as a threat.
“Thanks,” she said aloud. Then, she spoke through her smile. “The bounty’s over.”
“I ain’t heard that.”, he hissed back. “Lying bitch.” The Infernal departed, but his stench lingered, capping off what had been a brief but crappy day. She set her pen down.
Either the demon was seriously out of the loop, or Sammael had reneged on his end of the deal. She wished she knew which one was true.
“We should go,” Ishamel said. His lips moved without sound, Before too many of his friends arrive.
I’ll finish this later Eve wrote a quick “to be continued. . .“ on the page, then stood.
Ingram was at the door the moment she opened it. “Are you done? Before you leave, I’d like to go over your statement with you.”
“No, not done yet,” she said, glancing to the left and right, highly conscious of the number of eyes watching her.
It wasn’t safe for her to be out anywhere with a price tag stapled to her forehead. Not that she could tell Ingram that. What could be safer than a police station, right?
“We need that report, Ms. Hollis,” he said sternly, his mustache twitching in a way that hinted at impatience. “It’s vital to our getting a clear picture of what happened.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it would take this long.” She touched his arm, but pulled back when he tensed. “I borrowed my friend’s car—since you have mine— and I have to get it back to him.”
“It’s only been thirty minutes,” he pointed out.
“My client is very busy,” Ishamel said smoothly.
“Can you come by the tower for the rest?” Eve asked, regretting that she was taking up the detectives’ precious time. They should be working on crimes they could solve, not dicking around with her. “Do I have to fill it out here?”
He frowned.
Jones appeared behind him. Shorter and lighter than his partner, he’d approached stealthily. “I’ll give you a call in the morning and set up a time.”
“Good. Thanks.” Eve shook both their hands quickly. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”
Ishamel caught her arm and steered her toward the door. “When we get outside the front doors, I’ll shift us back to the tower.”
“I can’t leave another car behind. You’ll have to come back and get it.”
“I don’t drive. Abel will have to do it.”
“You don’t—”
They’d barely put their hands on the handle of the double doors, when